Eagle Helps Elkington Soar to Win

Steve Elkington took the lead with an eagle from 150 yards on the third hole in Sunday’s final round of the Doral-Ryder Open at Miami, then survived the sand-filled back nine to win by two strokes over Nick Price and Larry Nelson.

Elkington, who closed with a 69 for a 13-under-par 275, let Price and third-round leader David Duval back into the tournament when he hit three bunkers in two holes--making bogeys on Nos. 13 and 14.

But he steadied himself with a series of conservative pars and closed out the victory on the dangerous 18th hole when he drove into the bunker near the water, pitched out and hit a nine-iron from 135 yards to six feet and made the putt to save par.

“I played super golf today,” Elkington said. “I got off with the eagle at three and from then on I just rode the momentum in.”

The eagle on the third--a dangerous hole with water on the right and sand everywhere on the left, clanged hard against the flagstick and disappeared into the cup, setting off a wild ovation that rattled through the wind-swept palms at the Doral Resort.

“I hit a six-iron right into the wind,” Elkington said. “You don’t want to be short and go into the water and when I hit it I sort of said, ‘Get up,’ ” Elkington said. “And it went right into the hole. Didn’t even touch the green.”

The victory was Elkington’s first on the PGA Tour since his playoff win over Colin Montgomerie in the 1995 PGA Championship at Riviera.

“I told my caddie on Friday after I shot the 66 that I could win this week because my putting was so solid,” Elkington said.

His putting was very solid. He made an 8-footer for birdie on No. 1 and padded his lead going to the difficult closing holes with a 30-footer on No. 9 and a 12-footer on the next hole.